THE Senate yesterday held a necrological service for the late Sen. Ramon Revilla Sr., with present and former senators paying tribute to the actor-filmmaker turned legislator, who passed away last Friday due to heart failure at the age of 93.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III led the service and said that the elder Revilla, lovingly called “Don Ramon” by his close friends and colleagues, lived a full life both as an actor and politician.
Sotto said he first met the late senator in the 1970s when his wife Helen Gamboa and then three-year-old daughter played the role of wife and daughter, respectively, in a movie starred by Revilla Sr.
He said he also used to play in the music tracks for Revilla’s films.
Sotto said their friendship was further strengthened when they both ran and won seats in the Senate in 1992.
“Those were the days that we will continue to remember him by, and that we are glad to have known him. It was a great honor and privilege. His memory will live on in his family of movie stars and public servants,” Sotto said.
Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., the late senator’s son, thanked everyone who offered comforting words to the family in their moment of grief.
Bong turned emotional as he remembered the last time that his father went to the Senate halls to support him as he was facing graft charges regarding his supposed misuse of pork barrel funds.
“You were here to support me. ‘Yung mga pagsubok na hinaharap ko during that time, Daddy as I told you, babangon (ako). Lilinisin ko ang aking pangalan. I will prove to them na malinis (ako) (You were there to support me. I told you I am going to clear my name from the accusations against me. I will prove them wrong),” Bong said.
Bong was acquitted in December 2018 from plunder charges in connection with the alleged misuse of his P10-billion pork barrel funds. He ran and won for senator during the May 2019 elections.
Those who also offered kind and comforting words to the Revilla family were former Senators Robert Jaworski, a son-in-law of Revilla Sr.; Jose Lina, former president Joseph Estrada, Loren Legarda, former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, and Sen Richard Gordon.
Revillas Sr. served as senator during the 9th up to the 12th Congresses (1992 to 2004). He was later appointed head of the Public Estates Authority by Arroyo.
The Senate passed resolution no. 459 “expressing the profound sympathies and sincere condolences of the Senate of the Philippines on the death of the Hon. Ramon B. Revilla Sr.
